Wired Magazine: Climate Change and European Skiing

[ChrisC]

Interesting article on Climate Change and European Ski Resorts.

One fact that stood out was the level of snowmaking infrastructure in the Alps now:

Many ski resorts, of course, now rely on artificial snowmaking to make up for natural shortfalls: 90 percent of ski slopes in Italy, 70 percent in Austria, 53 percent in Switzerland, 37 percent in France, and 25 percent in Germany are now covered by snow cannons, according to data released by the Swiss lift operators association, Seilbahnen, in 2021.

Ski Resorts Are Giving Up on Snow

With natural snow becoming scarcer and artificial powder woefully unsustainable, Europe’s mountain resorts are starting to look at life beyond downhill skiing.

www.wired.com

 

[Tony Crocker]

One fact that stood out was the level of snowmaking infrastructure in the Alps now

Not surprising. The Alps are not lacking in water resources. Swiss and Austrian summary data shows more precipitation May-October than November-April.

I'm still suspicious of the alarmism. 1C in temperature rise equates to a 500 foot rise in the rain/snow line. If most of your ski terrain in the Alps is under 2,000 meters your resort is not and may not ever have been that reliable. Austria is somewhat of an exception, colder midwinter with valley inversions, a milder version of Jackson Hole. But the low altitudes can still melt out in March, especially when exposure is poor too.

 

[ChrisC]

Not surprising. The Alps are not lacking in water resources. Swiss and Austrian summary data shows more precipitation May-October than November-April.

I'm still suspicious of the alarmism. 1C in temperature rise equates to a 500 foot rise in the rain/snow line. If most of your ski terrain in the Alps is under 2,000 meters your resort is not and may not ever have been that reliable. Austria is somewhat of an exception, colder midwinter with valley inversions, a milder version of Jackson Hole. But the low altitudes can still melt out in March, especially when exposure is poor too.

I was slightly surprised to see this article in Wired.

I was unaware of the major investments going on in snowmaking - especially in Austria and Italy. Look at the snow report coming out of Val Gardena today - there has been very little natural snow, yet it's 80-90% open?! Makes our Killington/Hunter/Sunday River/Sun Valley/Big Bear snow-makers look almost inept. I don't think it's been that cold. Anyways, highly impressive.

Open slopes

www.valgardena.it

Also, I think there was some boom/bust over-building of ski areas throughout the Alps in the 1960s and 70s - like the inopportune locations chosen for many Northeast/New England ski areas during a similar period. See https://www.nelsap.org/ Sure, it's sad to see some go, but some deserve to go.

For example, the Italian wife of a UK friend shared that her uncle had to shut down a very small ski hill near Cortina in the early 2000s due to a continual lack of snow. It originally complemented an inn he owned.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I was unaware of the major investments going on in snowmaking - especially in Austria and Italy. Look at the snow report coming out of Val Gardena today - there has been very little natural snow, yet it's 80-90% open?!

Yes, on a completely different level. I don't think anyone in North America has much more than 700 acres under snowmaking. A few years ago I estimated the Dolomites have 8,000 acres with snownaking. We also observed extensive facilities in SkiWelt and Kitzbuhel.

 

[ChrisC]

I want to see these ski circuses someday - Val Gardena, Kitzbuhel, SkiWelt, & Saalbach - just for the infrastructure - lifts, piste networks, and snowmaking.

Kitzbuhel is for historical reasons and skiing - 2 days.
Saalbach for lifts and to complete the large circuit - 'The Challenge' - 1 day. (The similar 'Run of Fame' in the Arlberg looks more insane).
SkiWelt - 1 day (or skip to go ski Zell Am See and Kaprun).
Add Solden and Obergurgl.

The Dolomites - Definitely a week. However, this is predicated on good natural snow, allowing the Passo Pordoi Cable Car, Couloirs, and Val Mesdi to be open. Obviously, the Cortina and Sella Ronda pistes will always be available.

 

[Tony Crocker]

ski circuses

We have skied all that you mention since 2017. I like to ski them in sections because sometime we want to ski multiple runs in sectors with the best conditions.

For example I matched the 40K+ vertical of Saalbach's "Challenge" while only skiing Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Zwolferkogel and Fieberbrunn. We skied another 29K the next day including the part (Leogang) that I didn't ski the first day.

We skied two days in SkiWelt. Only Westendorf has much above tree line. Our schedule left only only one day for Kitzbuhel, so we skied it west to east and rode two buses back to our starting point. We did not ski the separate Kitzbuheler Horn sector.

Solden is worth 2 days of ChrisC's time if off piste conditions are favorable, which they weren't during our late March 2002 visit.

I can't find a map route for the Arlberg "Run of Fame" like the one for Saalbach. The "White Ring" circuit in Lech/Zurs is mapped and it is 18,000 vertical.

 

[ChrisC]

I will fly in/out of Munich if I ever ski this part of Austria.

I am more interested in skiing some of the historical areas (Garmisch/Partenkirchen, Kitzbuhel, Zell Am See), engineered mega ski circuses (Summit/Vail on steroids), and will add the glaciers of Solden/Obergrurgl.

I can't find a map route for the Arlberg "Run of Fame" like the one for Saalbach. The "White Ring" circuit in Lech/Zurs is mapped and it is 18,000 vertical.

The "Run of Fame" looks difficult to complete: Rendl/St. Anton to Warth village and back. I was not motivated even to consider it.

While in St. Anton, my brother and I started skiing over to Lech or Warth for the day and then just ended in Lech. (Lech's lifts are open late until 5 pm). After doing the interconnection a few times - why waste all the time backtracking the same runs to St. Anton? We also started doing apres-ski at the Hotel Krone's bar terrace, which sat on the river or Balmalp up on Lech mountain proper till we got kicked off, and taking a bus back to St. Anton. These places were more atmospheric than the insane fun of St. Anton's Krazy Kanguruh and Mooserwirt.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I was not motivated even to consider it.

+1 It's very impractical with the octopus-like layout of the Arlberg.

The Run of Fame omits:
1) The Kapall sector of St. Anton
2) St. Christophe
3) Stuben (changes lifts at Rauz in both directions)
4) Highest Steinmahder lift in Lech
5) Schrocken

We also started doing apres-ski at the Hotel Krone's bar terrace, which sat on the river or Balmalp up on Lech mountain proper till we got kicked off) and taking a bus back to St. Anton.

Based in Lech, we did apres ski at the Underground before taking the bus back to the Sandhof.